Effects of including lupins with cereal grain rations on the production of lambing ewes during drought

Abstract

In this experiment, 520 Border Leicester x Merino ewes 2 or 6 years of age and pregnant to Dorset Horn rams were held under simulated drought conditions and fed drought rations. Similar weights of oats or wheat with 0, 15, 30, 45 or 60% lupin grain were fed from 2 weeks before till 9 weeks after lambing, in 1979. Mean improvement in production as a result of including lupins in diets was 3 kg in liveweight of ewes, 6% (per ewe lambing) in ewe survival, 24% (per lamb born) in lamb survival, 41 g/day in lamb growth rate and 0.3 kg in ewe greasy fleece weight. The major response was to the increase in proportion of lupins from 0 to 15%. Type of cereal grain did not affect these responses. Wool from all treatments except oats alone was weakest in the first 4 weeks after lambing. Wool from 4% of ewes fed wheat alone was down-graded because of the ease with which staples broke under tension. The total number of lambs born in 1980 was not affected by previous treatment, even though ewes previously fed oats in 1979 had more twins than those fed wheat and the previous feeding of lupins decreased the number of ewes bearing single lambs.